What should I ?

I have been very upset the last few days. Been reading and watching videoclips on Facebook about the new law the Danish government has made. I have written some statuses and many comments… I should write a blogpost about that issue. But it is too overwhelming.

Here is my main facebook status about it. Which covers my opinion:

Lene Kaltwasser Henriksen
28. januar kl. 16:39 ·

I am furious. I am so sad. I am livid. I write in English so I can reach everyone. This Danish government?
They have…destroyed our nation’s pride. Our dignity.
Our identity as a people who cares. Who shares.
Who stands for humanism. Equality.
These people in the government. Acting out of fear. Out of greed. Out of lack of empathy. Breaking human rights. Hurting families and children. Knowingly!!! Who does such a thing? What is the ideology? Ūbermensch I tell u. Evil ! A spade is a spade.
Tax relief for the rich. Thats what this sick government cares about. More money for the richest ones. Including themselves. Oh if we were in France 1789… heads would roll.
They are doing damage to Denmark these idiots. This is not how the Danish nation reacts to a wave of people in deep need.
Come on! This is a nightmare!
Imagine being a Syrian refugee. One month on the run, in dangerous boats, through woods, just scared. To escape. To find somewhere safe to live. For the future of your children. And then. They take your last posessions on the border. And they tell u that u will not see your kids and wife for three years.
How would u survive that?
Maybe suicide is the aim of the government. Saves money. You know. The AllMighty Fuckedup Dollar.
My condolances. This government.
The worst I have ever known in my homeland.
I really never imagined this could be possible.
Intelligence. Empathy. Dignity. None.
None. !
Un believe able.

Here is one of my favourite songs for describing longing for peace in one´s homeland… Dire Straits with Brothers in Arms.

I have shared many videoclips and newspaper articles. About how they don´t listen in parliament, when one politician tells them the law makes her sad and explains to them its consequences. Her colleagues sit and chat with eachother while she speaks. Open disrespect. No manners!

And then they passed the law. 81 fore, 27 against. And 70 members of parliament were NOT PRESENT!!! Where were they?!?! Why were they not there?!?!

Two of the party Venstre´s ministers were called in to a questioning in Brussels two days before the voting. To explain their extreme, hostile law. And they stood there lying and avoiding telling the truth about it. For example that it breaks UN´s human rights convention for children!

They will now take jewellery from refugees to help pay for their keeping. Outrageous. Like the nazis. Yeah. Brilliant idea.

And much worse: They will make refugees wait three years before they can be reunited with their spouses and children, left behind in the war zone.

If I knew how, I would paste some of the facebook posts here. But I don´t know how to do that.

I share this one instead. Also a lot nicer to take in than the picture of those heartless politicians.

It knocked me out of balance, that fascist law. To realize DENMARK can do such a thing. Shocking to me. A lot of Danes are shocked and disgusted and sad and shameful about this government´s new law.

I feel better now. Having talked about it with friends, having cried a lot and written about it. Also I have realized that the law of the three year long wait to be reunited with family, will be a reality for only about 10% of the asylum seekers. Not that that makes it less harmful. Or. Yes it does in numbers. But the pain it will induce on the ones it hits….. how can people come up with a rule like that. Ungraspable.

I am extremely relieved that the 3 year rule will not hit my Syrian friend Asaad, who moved to Fanø first of December… and whose youngest daughter turned 2 years old on the 26.of January… he will not have to wait until she is 5 before he sees her again.

I am so relieved, and I just HOPE my interpretation of the law´s text is correct. It says that the asylum seekers who get only one year´s stay allowance (or how they phrase it). Those are the ones who have to wait. Most Syrians get 2 or 5 years stay allowance. Asaad has got 5 years.

If I ruled Europe, we would invest in the refugees. Give them treatment for the trauma they have endured. Then education and later jobs. Actually, I would invest in Greece. They suffer immensely there. We could help them build a really good refugee camp there. And every European country could send a team of specialists, to help in every way, both the Greek citizens and the refugee citizens.

I would say that “Okay, Denmark has now received 15.000 refugees. We now close the border, because we must find the families of our new citizens, and start to integrate them. We have made a 5% tax for corporations that earn more than a million kroner a week. And this new stately income will cover the extra cost of our investment in the refugees´ wellfare. If we find that the cost will be higher, we will sell our war planes. We no longer need them anyway, because we have decided to stop taking part in the war in Syria. We will from now on be a nation for peace. No more war.”

“And as soon as were have the families reunited, and can see how things are going and what challenges and opportunities we have. Then we will of course open our borders again and accept more refugees. Because we see this as our human duty, to treat our brothers and sisters with love. We are one humanity and we must stand together in times of need.”

This is what I should. One thing is to report the evil. That is being done by journalists all over the world. Not always as well as it needs to be done, but. This Danish law and its disgrace, they have covered well.

What is MY mission, is to uplift. To help myself and others digest the difficulties, and keep strong and hopeful, solution orientated, positive and optimistic about the future and about human individuals´ capacity for love in spite of capitalism, in spite of xenofobia, fear of the unknown…

The refugees who come here, are people. Just like us. Individuals. The Danes connect with them really gently and friendly. One example is the facebook group phenomena “Venligboerne” which means “The Friendly Dwellers”. In the groups individuals organize help for the refugees. Find them places to live, give clothes and furniture to them, invite refugees to special cafe meetings… anything.
It started in Denmark and spread to Germany. I don´t know if more countries have them yet?

Check them out…. All in all, choose to focus on the positive, loving messages about the refugees. It is really so rewarding to get to know them. I have always been curious to get to know people from other countries. It does not drain me. A mutual bond develops, like in any other friendship. They need help, and it feels good to be of help to people. And to teach people about the local customs and how things work. And people who get help, want to give something back. You will find they also try to find ways of helping you back. Very rewarding relationships. Where one learns a lot, and laughs a lot actually, in the process of communicating with limited language skills…

Go familiarize yourself with the refugees and their situation. If we all greet and meet them, integration will be easy. When there is segregation, non integration, it is because the parties do not meet and get involved with eachother. We have tons in common with any other human being! Like a need and appreciation for food. And music. Dancing. Jokes. Like wanting safety and happiness. Like tears of joy and of pain. Like smiles.

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2 thoughts on “What should I ?”

So many emotions at the moment about the refugee crisis and war. Under the anger tears, which I share with you too. I find the hardest part is the lack of empathy when people are so filled with hatred, fear & racism. Maybe that’s what we have to face in ourselves as first world people, our own fears and subtle racist attitudes, and support each other through the confusion. Re-evaluation Co-Counselling has a good structure to work on these feelings.